At the moment I am staying in the wooded hills of the Cevennes in France and the disparity between life here and the UK is pretty shocking. There are no empty shelves, in fact there are sales in the supermarkets of wine, dog and cat food and local produce to sell off surplus capacity.
The French government has opened up the economy but is continuing with mandatory mask wearing on public transport and in supermarkets and people are going along with it. It feels far safer to shop, work, travel than in England and so older people are going about their lives with far less fear.
There is ongoing hospital and health treatments and you can get an appointment see your GP in person within 24 hours.
The ambiance in the small local towns where there are open air markets and open air events is relaxed, enjoyable and friendly, with none of the violence or drunkenness seemingly prevalent across England.
The chaos and crisis in the UK does not have to be like that, there are better ways